Nationally recognized. High-quality academics with an emphasis on practical, hands-on learning. Chicago as our classroom. Student-focused. Diverse. Flexible. Approachable. Well-connected.

These are the words that describe DePaul University, the largest Catholic university and one of the ten largest private universities in the nation.  DePaul enrolls a richly diverse population of nearly 24,000 students in more than 200 graduate and undergraduate degree programs in eight college and schools. Its two primary campuses in Lincoln Park and the Loop are complemented by four suburban campuses, a growing array of online degrees and international programs and partnerships around the globe.

DePaul was founded in 1898 by the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), a Roman Catholic religious community established by Saint Vincent de Paul, a 17th century priest who saw education as a way to lift people out of poverty. Originally created to serve the children of immigrants, DePaul has flourished by providing a high-quality education to a wide range of students, with particular attention to first-generation college students and those from underrepresented groups.

A DePaul education is distinguished by blending the latest theories with practical, hands-on experience in a small-group setting. Despite the university’s size, three out of four undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students. This enables professors to integrate on-site, real-world learning opportunities throughout the student experience, from the Discover Chicago/Explore Chicago program for freshmen through internships and co-ops to more than 120 service learning courses offered through the Irwin W. Steans Center for Community-Based Service Learning. DePaul’s effectiveness in combining service with learning has been recognized for the past few years by organizations ranging from “U.S.News and World Report” to “Colleges with a Conscience.”

DePaul’s faculty members are renowned both for their expertise and for the quality of their teaching and research. Their deep connections within Chicago and around the world keep their courses current and vibrant. Students find them approachable and accessible, a natural outgrowth of their primary focus on teaching.  They teach through eight colleges and schools:

• The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LA&S), DePaul’s oldest andlargest college, which encompasses more than 30 programs

• The College of Commerce and the Charles H. Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, known for its entrepreneurship and real estate expertise as well as its top-ranked part-time MBA program

• The College of Law, nationally recognized for its programs in health care law and intellectual property

• The School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems, whose graduate computer science school is the largest in the nation

• The School of Education, recognized for training multicultural urban educators and working closely with the Chicago public schools

• The School for New Learning, cited repeatedly as a best-practice program in educating adult students

• The School of Music, a premier program whose distinguished faculty includes many members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera

• The Theatre School, one of America’s oldest and most respected theatre programs      

In addition, more than 40 centers and institutes further DePaul’s mission of service and education through research and leadership on a wide range of social issues, ranging from inner-city education and community mental health to international human rights and business ethics.

In the past three decades, DePaul has transformed itself from a commuter school primarily serving Chicago residents to a nationally recognized university that attracts students from across the nation and around the globe. Among its many accomplishments, DePaul is recognized as a national leader in enrolling—and graduating—students of color.

In 2006, DePaul awarded more than 5,000 degrees. Its graduates join more than 125,000 living alumni—80,000 in the Chicago metropolitan area alone—who form a vibrant network pursuing careers, service, and lifelong learning. DePaul graduates can be found in all 50 states and in about 70 countries worldwide. Wherever they live, they carry on the traditions of academic excellence and community responsibility that are the heritage of Saint Vincent de Paul.